Restaurants with worst and best 'wait' times (w/ADRs)?

[kimkim]

I just wanted to know which restaurants have you experienced the longest 'waits' with your ADRs? I've heard Coral Reef can be bad. Are there others?

What about restaurants that you've almost never had a long wait or the best experience being quickly seated?

I know alot boils down to time of year, how busy the parks are, what else is going on (EMH, shows, parades, etc). But I'm wondering if some are habitually 'better' or 'worse' getting you in near your ADR time.

I'd love opinions on any restaruants and times. Below are ones I'm thinking about and the times. If some are better than others, I'll use that to narrow the list down!

Biergarten (7:30 dinner)
Coral Reef (early 4:50 dinner)
Le Cellier (7:30 dinner, not that I can change this time though!)
Rose & Crown (7;45 dinner)
Cape May Clambake (7:15 dinner)
Crystal Palace, (7:45 dinner and 8:15 AM pre park opening breakfast)
Tony's Town Square (8:00 dinner)
Sci-Fi diner (11:50 lunch)
O'Hana (7:30 dinner)
Cape May Breakfast (8:15 AM)
Tusker House breakfast (8:15 AM)
Akerhaus breakfast (8:20 AM)

This will be my first trip trying the restaurants, so I am really happy to try almost anything (I don't have any 'must dos' or favorites). So the wait times may be a factor in to what I end up going with!

Thanks!

 

[kidd_freeper]

My experiences:

Worst
Chef Mickeys - 45 minute wait with an ADR for a group of 7. Can't recall if a pager was provided or not. Not much to do while you wait. Waiting is indoors. Somewhat disorganized seating priority.The long wait time before the meal significantly affected the enjoyment of the meal.

Best
San Angel Inn - 10 minute wait with ADR for a group of 9 (similar wait for smaller groups). Pager provided. LOTS to do while you wait (shop, go on the ride, watch glass blowing, listen to live music). Waiting is indoors. Might be the only place where the wait enhanced the enjoyment of the meal.

Others
Mama Melrose - 10 minute wait with ADR for group of 7. Immediately seated for group of 2. No pager provided. No entertainment while waiting. Very little waiting room, but not crowded.

50s Prime Time Cafe - 25 minute wait for group of 9. 10 minutes for group of 2. No pager provided, last name is called out. Bar in waiting area as well as old TV program clips to watch. Waiting area is small, might have to wait outside.

Rose&Crowne - 30 minute wait for 2 (we requested outdoor seating for fireworks viewing, which was unofficially granted). Not sure if pager was provided. Waiting is outdoors, but there is the pub (usually crowded) and street entertainment. Somewhat disorganized seating priority.

 

[Cafeen]

Biergarten (7:30 dinner)
Coral Reef (early 4:50 dinner)
Le Cellier (7:30 dinner, not that I can change this time though!) - We had about a 30-45min wait beyond ADR time for a 2:20 lunch
Rose & Crown (7;45 dinner)
Cape May Clambake (7:15 dinner)
Crystal Palace, (7:45 dinner and 8:15 AM pre park opening breakfast) - 45-60minute post-ADR wait for a 7:00pm dinner
Tony's Town Square (8:00 dinner)
Sci-Fi diner (11:50 lunch)
O'Hana (7:30 dinner)
Cape May Breakfast (8:15 AM)
Tusker House breakfast (8:15 AM)
Akerhaus breakfast (8:20 AM) - Very short wait post-ADR time, maybe 10minutes tops

My comments are in green. The ones I left out I haven't been to (though, more than a couple of them I'm heading to this year.)

Forgot to mention the others .

During our time there last year, we found great wait times at:

• Maya Grill: No wait time when we had 6:30pm ADRs on arrival day. 10 minute wait for walk-up later in the week (6pm)
• Hollywood & Vine: Seating either right on, or just slightly past the ADR time (11:40am ADRs I think). Of course the food wasn't that great, but it wasn't horrible either.
• Akershus (mentioned above). This was also a breakfast (9:30am ADRs) and we were seated right on time.

Bad wait times at:

• Chef Mickey's: 35+ minutes. Of course, we were late last year (which was a trend ) so that didn't help.
• The aforementioned CP and Le Cellier (we were on time to both of them too!)

Normal/Average times at:

• CRT - Maybe a 20 minute wait for breakfast, we were pretty late here and then got stuck in RD crowd
• 1900 PF - Late again, but maybe a 20 minute wait for breakfast

 

[julluvsdisney]

Last year we had long waits at 1900 park fare 30 min at 9am, CP about 45 min at 8pm

No wait time longer than 5-10 min at ohana 8pm, mama melrose 630pm, or planet hollywood 1pm (with no adr)

 

[kandls momma]

We had very short waits for crystal palace (11:30 am lunch- waited maybe 10 min past the time), akershus (we were seated within 10 min of checking in for a 9:25 bfast) and Liberty Tree Tavern (again 11:30 lunch, maybe a 5 min wait if that).

I think we were seatd really quickly since we had ADRs for the first lunch seating for most of our meals. I would guess that if you have a later ADR, your odds of waiting are a bit higher since they have to wait for the tables to clear.

 

[bluejasmine]

San Angel waited almost 2 hrs past ADR time Sept 2008, Crystal Palace waited almost an hr after ADR time Sept 2009. PT waited a little over an hr March 2005 gave up went and ate at almost empty H&V next door, I should have just waited H&V was horrible.
Been to CR twice and never waited more than 10 min..

 

[MSLRAC]

We were seated almost immediately at Beirgarten, LeCellier. Rose and Crown, Crystal Palace (breakfast) Cape May (breakfast) and Sci Fi.

We had minimal (5-15 minutes) waits at O'Hana, Tusker House and Akershus.

We had an hour long wait past our ADR time for Cape May Clambake. The entire lobby of the Beach Club was packed full of people waiting to be seated. Everyone kept asking what the hold up was and we were all told that they were in the middle of a turn over. I don't know what that means but apparently it meant clear out the dinning room, reset it and then attempt to seat everyone waiting at one time. It was a mess and when coupled with the mediocre food, it made for a horrible last dinner at Disney.

 

[DISNEYNV]

Worst Wait times...50's Prime Time, Mickeys BYBBQ and Chef Mickeys (with ADRs)

Fastest...Le Celliers, Brown Derby, Crystal Palace, Sci Fi, Hoopdee Doo Review

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

Any time you've got an early breakfast (basically first round) you should be just fine with little to no wait. Also works for early dinners for places that don't serve lunch (like 1900).

Other than that I really do think it's hit / miss. Buffets are the best I think (as long as the characters are on time) because people eat then leave and there's no big kitchen delay.

 

[weich1001]

We had similar ADR time at Le Cellier on a Thursday night during our September 08 visit. We arrived and waited over a half an hour. They were nice about it...said they were swamped, but when we finally got in the place was virtually empty! I don't think they had enough help that night for the amount fo tables they had in there or something like that. In any case, it was worth the wait..steak and filet we had were good!

 

[SmallWorld71]

I just wanted to know which restaurants have you experienced the longest 'waits' with your ADRs? I've heard Coral Reef can be bad. Are there others?

What about restaurants that you've almost never had a long wait or the best experience being quickly seated?

I know alot boils down to time of year, how busy the parks are, what else is going on (EMH, shows, parades, etc). But I'm wondering if some are habitually 'better' or 'worse' getting you in near your ADR time.

I'd love opinions on any restaruants and times. Below are ones I'm thinking about and the times. If some are better than others, I'll use that to narrow the list down!

Biergarten (7:30 dinner)
Coral Reef (early 4:50 dinner)
Le Cellier (7:30 dinner, not that I can change this time though!)
Rose & Crown (7;45 dinner)
Cape May Clambake (7:15 dinner)
Crystal Palace, (7:45 dinner and 8:15 AM pre park opening breakfast)
Tony's Town Square (8:00 dinner)
Sci-Fi diner (11:50 lunch)
O'Hana (7:30 dinner)
Cape May Breakfast (8:15 AM)
Tusker House breakfast (8:15 AM)
Akerhaus breakfast (8:20 AM)

This will be my first trip trying the restaurants, so I am really happy to try almost anything (I don't have any 'must dos' or favorites). So the wait times may be a factor in to what I end up going with!

Thanks!

I've never waited more than 20 min. for any ADR and usually less than 10. This includes during some trips with free dining. I think the time can factor in, the later the ADR-the more likely for a build-up and therefore a wait. Also, the character meals and all you can eat type places with entertainment seem to get the most backed up as the evening goes on. The places I've eaten at that you are considering are:
Biergarten - 6:15 dinner- 10 minute wait
Coral Reef - 1:00 lunch - 20 minute wait; most people got in faster but I requested to sit near the tank
Crystal Palace - 3 times - Lunch at 12:30, dinners at 4:00 and 6:15 - waits between 10 and 20 minutes with the longest being lunch (there was a group of 150 teenage girls who part of a tour group that left right before our ADR and it took them a little while to clean up So glad we missed them. )
Sci-Fi - 12:30 lunch 15 minutes
'Ohana dinner - 5:05 dinner - 5 minute wait (it opens at 5)
Tusker House breakfast - 8:05 - 5 minute wait

 

[Beauty & the Best]

I just wanted to know which restaurants have you experienced the longest 'waits' with your ADRs? I've heard Coral Reef can be bad. Are there others?

Biergarten (7:30 dinner)
Coral Reef (early 4:50 dinner)
Le Cellier (7:30 dinner, not that I can change this time though!)
Rose & Crown (7;45 dinner)
Cape May Clambake (7:15 dinner)
Crystal Palace, (7:45 dinner and 8:15 AM pre park opening breakfast)
Tony's Town Square (8:00 dinner)
Sci-Fi diner (11:50 lunch)
O'Hana (7:30 dinner)
Cape May Breakfast (8:15 AM)
Tusker House breakfast (8:15 AM)
Akerhaus breakfast (8:20 AM)

This will be my first trip trying the restaurants, so I am really happy to try almost anything (I don't have any 'must dos' or favorites). So the wait times may be a factor in to what I end up going with!

Thanks!

Best - Biergarten (they give you a beeper and less than 2 min later it beeps)

Worst - Ohana (it seems we always have to wait at least 20 min for our table here, very tough when you have a late ressie, but yours looks fine)

 

[missminniemouse]

We've found LeCellier to be really bad with seating on time. The last 2 times we ate there we waited 45 plus minutes past our ADR time, with 2 young children who were starving. Not a good situation.

Other than that we normally have been seated within about 15 minutes of our ADR time.

 

[Nadjalu]

We have never waited more than 10 mins for an adr at any place.

Don't know if it matters what time we eat, but I feel we are blessed with not having to wait.

We have eaten at tons of places, including the hard to get ones and still no issue. I do aim for 5-6pm for dinner, so that may be.
And we usually show up 15-20 mins early and are still taken within 10 mins.

Last trip had a LeCellier adr for 8:40, showed up at 7:30 and was told it would be well over an hour. I was tired and just decided to sit and wait. I got sat down and the waitress came for us. Hour my butt, we were done and out of there by our adr time. LOL

 

[daisy37]

waited 45-50 minutes at O'hana for 9 pm dinner. It wasn't that busy inside and missed all the entertainment. Will not go again. Have also waited awhile at CP but we were early. Shortest waits were twice at Garden Grill-went right in. Reasonable waits at other places.

 

[hmillerbarilla]

had a long wait at Coral Reef for lunch, and always always always have a long wait at Crystal Palace whenever our ADR be it breakfast/lunch/dinner.

 

[Castillo Mom]

'Ohana! We go there on arrival day each trip and we've always had to wait at least 30 minutes. I"m not complaining though, by the time we get to WDW after a long flight, we're happy to just be there and we have a tropical drink or two while we wait.

 

[wellbridal]

good website.

 

[tar heel]

There's no contest for us. We waited about 2 hours at Raglan Road. If it had not been Christmas Eve, we would have gone elsewhere, but we didn't feel like we had any options. My family would never go back there.

The other place we've always waited, usually 20-30 minutes, is Le Cellier.

 

[gigi1313]

worst wait times tend (in our experience) not to follow the restaurant as much as they follow the time of day... we've found just after opening and just before closing to be the shortest waits and the middle of the meal service (be it b'fast/lunch or dinner) is the longest...

that being said, our worst waits repeatedly have been:
Cape May and Crystal Palace